Of Legend
by Stalk Me
Summary: Fifteen-year-old Hatter wants nothing more than to have tea parties with his friends, but when a Duchess and a young oyster girl enter his life, he finds himself going against Wonderland and the Queen of Hearts.
1. Prologue

**Of Legend**

Prologue

"So what made you choose the name 'David'?"

"Well I always fancied the name 'Jack', but I wasn't about to call myself _that_, now was I?"

She slaps his arm, but the smile pulling across her face tells him that he's not in trouble for the jab. It's a Friday night, two weeks after his entrance into her normal life. She had insisted upon taking him to a local bar to further educate him about her world, even though he had assured her over and over again that Wonderland had bars of its own, and that he was known for holding his liquor better than anyone. She had challenged him to two drinking games before admitting defeat.

Now they're walking down the sidewalk back to his apartment, and she's grasping onto his arm to help her slightly inebriated body balance in her high heeled boots.

"Come on, Hatter, I'm being serious," she scolds. She gives his arm a gentle squeeze, and he knows that he's putty in her hands, so he tells her, even though he doesn't like where the conversation will inevitably lead.

"David's my real name, luv."

He takes two more steps before he realizes that she's no longer grasping his arm. He turns and sees her standing dumbstruck on the sidewalk, her mouth open slightly in shock.

"Your real name?" she asks in a hushed whisper.

He draws closer to her and feels the corner of his mouth pull upward in a smirk despite the nervous pounding in his chest. "Did you really think my parents named me Mad Hatter?" he asks. "That's just a nickname I was given when I was a kid. My real name is David Hatter." He brushes a lock of her hair behind her ear, wishing that she'd say something, and when she does speak, it's not what he expects:

"But it's such a normal name for someone in Wonderland!"

He laughs and throws an arm around her shoulders, leading her back to his apartment building. "I hate to break it to you, luv, but most of us in Wonderland have normal names. Or do you not remember Jack and Charlie?"

She doesn't answer him, and when he looks down, he sees her deep in thought, her bottom lip being dragged into her mouth by her teeth.

"You had parents?" she asks after a few moments of silence.

"Yep," he replies simply, the 'p' sound making a popping noise. He doesn't elaborate.

They finally reach his apartment building, and he leads her inside and up a flight of stairs. He has to jiggle the key in the lock for a moment before the door to his apartment opens, and when it does, they walk inside. Neither of them bother to turn on the light as they make their way to his bedroom.

He takes off his hat and puts it on a rack with the rest of his collection. It's not until he's shrugging out of his jacket that she asks the question he's been dreading:

"So are you him? Are you _the_ Mad Hatter?"

He stares at her for what feels like an eternity before nodding slowly. She remains silent as he crosses his bedroom and turns on the small lamp that sits on his bedside table. He collapses into bed, and she follows slowly, hesitantly. He feels the mattress dip with her weight as she draws closer to him, her hair cascading around them as she looks down into his eyes.

"So you met her? The other Alice?"

He sighs. "Yes."

"At a tea party?"

"Well it was definitely a party."

Her brow knits in confusion, and he sighs once again. He sits up, his back against the headboard as he wraps one arm around Alice, holding her close, while his other hand gently strokes her cheek.

"One hundred and fifty years ago, a young girl named Alice came from your world and entered mine. We met at a tea party, and I testified at her trial, but that's about all that your version of the story got right."

She's biting her lower lip again. "Tell me? Please."

He knows that he'll have to tell her eventually. And tonight's as good a night as any.

"It was 150 years ago. I was 50 in your years, but only 15 in Wonderland years. I was still a kid, and I was actually at my parent's place on the morning of the day that I met her…"


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

He opens his eyes and is greeted with the sight of his mother staring blearily down at him. Her shawl is falling off of one shoulder, revealing a section of corset to him, and in her hand is a small cup of tea, discolored by the few drops of happiness or elation that he knows she adds to it. It's clear that she hasn't taken a sip yet, seeing as her face is currently clouded with confusion as she stares down at her only son as if he were a stranger she didn't recognize. Finally comprehension dawns on her and the creases in her forehead smooth over slightly.

"What are you doing here?" she croaks.

"I live here occasionally," he replies. He brings a hand to rub the sleep from his eyes. It also serves to block the image of his mother. The blessed blackness only lasts for a few seconds as his hand drops back down to his chest and his eyes open once again. It's then that he realizes that he had fallen asleep while reading, and that the book still lies open on his chest.

"Aren't you grown yet?" his mother asks. She notices the book as well and picks it up with her finger and thumb, as if she'd get contaminated from touching it. "These are supposed to be banned."

Hatter sits up and stretches his arms over his head. "I'm nearly grown," he tells her. "A few more years or so, and I can be legally out of your hair." He snatches the book away from her and throws it under his bed. "And just pretend you never saw that."

"Who taught you to read anyway?"

"Definitely not you or Dad."

He acknowledges that in another world that sort of comment would get him either a slap or an apology, but his mother does neither; she's already checked out of the conversation, sipping her tea as she toddles out of his room and into the small, adjoining living area of their apartment. He follows her, anger creeping numbly up his spine, dulled by the chaos that is Wonderland, but there nonetheless.

"I can write and do math too," he says, blocking her way to her bedroom. He leans forward, challenging her to get mad at him, but the tea is already working its wonders. She smiles at him as a low chuckle escapes her lips. She brings a finger to run down his cheek.

"You're the type of youth the Queen warns us all about," she says. "If you're not careful, son, you'll end up with a headless body." Her finger brushes lightly over his lips. "And such a pretty head you have too."

Hatter swallows his disgust and steps aside. "I see the new shipment of passion has come in," he says, his voice a little shaky. His mother's fingers travel down his neck and traces his collar bone. "Please just go to your room and drink your tea, Mum," he pleads.

His mother takes another sip of her tea, but she does not leave. Her fingers are now grasping at the front of his shirt, almost as if she wants to pull him closer. He tries to pry her fingers away.

"There you are, David!"

Both Hatter and his mother take a step back from each other as Joseph Hatter's booming voice fills the room. The Hatter patriarch is tall and broad, easily filling the room and radiating with self confidence – a self confidence that probably comes from the cup of tea he's holding.

"I'm glad you're here, son!" Joseph continues. He finally reaches them and slaps Hatter on the back good naturedly.

Hatter peers at his father. "Why?"

"We've got a big sale happening today in the Tea House," his father explains. "A wealthy family's buying a large number of crates, and I need you there to seal the deal!"

"Me?" Hatter asks.

"Him?" his mother echoes.

"I've never made a deal, Dad. I just unload the shipments."

"Don't worry about it, son. Don't worry about it. You'll do just fine."

"You've made huge sales before on your own. Why do you need me there?"

His father throws his arm around Hatter's shoulders and brings his face closer. Hatter can almost count the individual hairs of his father's beard.

"The family who's buying from us lives in the palace with the Queen," Joseph explains. "It's rumored that their daughter's to be betrothed to the prince."

"What does that have to do with me?"

His father's eyes shine as he raises a finger, as if signaling to Hatter that the good part's coming.

"The prince has been seeing other girls. And, really, you can't blame the boy. He's about your age. Young lads should be having a bit of fun before settling for only one, miserable woman."

Out of the corner of his eye, Hatter sees his mother visibly deflate. She sets her cup of tea on a nearby table and walks over to the locked cabinet where the family stashes their own collection of teas.

"Anyway, it appears that the young duchess is heartbroken. She'd do anything to get the prince. Her parents heard that I have a son, and they're willing to purchase ten to twenty extra crates of tea if you'd…teach her a thing or two about…pleasing a man."

"I'm supposed to seduce her!" Hatter shakes his head vehemently. "Dad, I can't."

"Nonsense! I know you've been with girls! Don't think I don't hear about what you and your friends do at your little tea parties in the woods!"

"Dad, it's not that. It's just…" Hatter runs a frustrated hand through his hair. "She's a duchess!"

"Nervous, eh?" his father asks. "That's why I brought this." He holds the cup of tea to Hatter's lips.

Hatter turns his head away. "Dad, I don't…" But he's cut off as his father's hand grabs his face and forces his mouth open. Hatter chokes as the lukewarm tea, spiked with self confidence, washes down his throat.

"That's a good lad," Joseph says, his beefy hand thumping Hatter on the back as Hatter coughs . "Now get cleaned up. The Duke and Duchess will be arriving in a half an hour."

Joseph turns and leaves the apartment, no doubt returning to the Tea House that's located a floor below. Hatter's eyes find his mother, who's still squatting in front of the tea cabinet, examining the blue tea of hope and the pink of excitement. "Do as your father says," she tells him in a monotone voice, not bothering to look away from the tea.

Hatter walks up behind her and squats down to her level. He wraps his arms around her and rests his head just between her shoulder blades. She stiffens at first but soon relaxes, and when he feels her hand grasping his own, he knows that she's no longer under the tea's influence; for once, she's actually his mother.

"You don't have to live this way, Mum," he tells her. "I can go days without tea. Weeks even. You don't really miss it after awhile."

Her hand leaves his as she reaches into the tea cabinet. "Go get cleaned up, David. I'll drink ignorance and forget that my son knows how to read, is too smart for his own good, and is probably plotting against the Queen in the woods with his friends."

Hatter holds on for just a moment longer, then he unwraps his arms from his mother, stands and walks away. Less than a minute later, his mother's gone again: physically there, but not spiritually. And Hatter can't help but think that it's only in Wonderland that children don't have parents.

* * *

><p>Twenty five minutes later, Hatter finds himself lying in the flowering grass of his dad's office floor, his arms folded behind his head in a make-shift pillow and his eyes closed as he tries to concentrate on his breathing. Joseph had given him an extra dose of self confidence and a little bit of passion, just to be sure that Hatter would do the job, and now the emotions are taking hold, stronger than what Hatter would like. He's riled up and horny as fuck, and the only thing keeping him from reacting on these emotions is the light, barely audible songs that the flowers sing. Hatter had once asked Mad March if he heard the flowers' music, but March had graced him with a stony, <em>'you're out of you mind'<em> look, and Hatter never brought up the subject again.

"Good, send them up."

Hatter opens his eyes at his father's voice, and he feels his emotions freeze momentarily as his stomach clenches.

"Stand up, David, m'boy, it's time to get to work," Joseph booms, and Hatter gets pulled to his feet by his father's beefy hand. He stands stock still and slightly miserable despite the tea as his father brushes the grass off of him and straightens his tie. When Hatter looks presentable, Joseph places his hands on his son's shoulders and looks him square in the eye.

"I have never been more proud of you than I am now," he says evenly.

"You're sending me to fornicate with a girl I don't know so that her parents will buy mind-altering substances," Hatter replies in the same tone. "Don't you think that's wrong, Dad?"

"It's a hell of a lot more fun of a job than what my father ever had me do, I'll tell you that!" Joseph takes a step closer and brings a finger to Hatter's face in warning. "Don't let your convoluted ideas of what's right and wrong screw this up, boy. Have another shot of passion if you need to, but if that young Duchess doesn't leave here satisfied, I'll send your head to the Queen myself!"

There's no time to react to the threat; the office door is already opening and trumpets are blaring, announcing the arrival of the nearly-royal family. Joseph's scowl is replaced with a smile as he approaches the family with arms wide open.

"M'Lord! M'Lady!" he booms, bowing low. Hatter bows as well, albeit a little stiffly and not nearly as low.

"Allow me to introduce my son, David," Joseph continues. He beckons to Hatter and when Hatter stands beside him, Joseph places a large hand on Hatter's right shoulder.

The Duke and Duchess scrutinize him for a moment before turning and waving their own daughter forward.

She looks young, even though Hatter knows that she's his age – a few months older actually, if he remembers correctly. It's obvious that she's nearing adulthood; Hatter can clearly see the curve of her breast and hip, but every last inch of her is covered, right down to her gloved hands. Her blond curls are gathered in a French twist, and she doesn't appear to have a hint of rouge on her. Her blue eyes are wide and a little bit frightened. She's frightened, Hatter realizes with a jolt, of him.

"This is our daughter, the Duchess Charlotte," the Duke says.

The Duchess gives a short, stilted curtsy. Her eyes lock briefly with Hatter's before she blushes and looks down at her feet.

"Excellent! Delighted to meet you, Duchess!" Joseph says jovially. "I'm sure the kids will get along just fine."

The Duke glances lazily about the room. "I assume you've prepared a place for the kids to…get better acquainted?" he asks.

"Of course, of course. David, why don't you show Duchess Charlotte the…uh…the other room?"

It's the last thing in the world that Hatter wants to do, but disobeying his parents could mean his head on a platter, so Hatter sighs and reaches out his hand to the Duchess. "M'Lady," he says.

She stares at his outstretched hand as if she expects it to turn into a snake and bite her, but, after a moment's hesitation, she lightly places her fingers in his palm and allows him to lead her to the far wall. He knocks twice on what appears to be the solid wall and a door appears. It's his father's personal supply room, stocked to the brim with the best teas Wonderland has to offer. This time tea isn't the only thing in the room: The center of the room houses an absurdly large bed.

"Oh bloody hell," Hatter swears as the door swings shut behind them and locks them in. He drops the Duchess' hand and walks over to the bed. It's not only wide, but tall as well, the brim of it reaching Hatter's shoulders. "Leave it to Dad to get carried away."

He turns and tries to grace the Duchess with a smile, though it probably looks more like a grimace. "I can help you up if you'd like," he says, gesturing to the bed.

The Duchess tenses visibly and takes a step back, practically pushing herself up against the wall, her hands behind her back and her eyes on her feet.

"I'd rather not," she says quickly. Her voice is quiet.

Hatter shrugs. He's vaguely aware that if he weren't high on tea, he'd understand that her statement was a rejection of him, not the bed. However, Hatter's high as a kite on self confidence and the thought leaves his mind almost as soon as it enters it. Not to mention that passion's working its wonders on him as well, and while he might not have wanted to seduce her that morning, he's liking the idea now.

"Okay." He shrugs. "We don't need to do it on the bed. I've done it standing before." He draws closer to her, so close that he can feel her breath on his neck. He brings his hands to rest against the wall on either side of her, trapping her like prey. He leans down and kisses her. Once. Twice. Three times. She turns her head abruptly after that, and his fourth kiss lands messily on her cheek. He pauses in confusion.

"I can taste the passion that your father forced down your throat to get you to seduce me," she says. Her voice is louder, a bit more confident, and Hatter feels thin wisps of surprise coil in his stomach.

"All teas taste the same," he tells her.

She looks at him then, and he notices something in her eyes, just behind her blue irises; a gleam that looks strangely like strength. She's ducking under his arm and walking over to a nearby cabinet before he has time to react. He stands against the wall and stares at her, watching as she rummages through the cabinet's contents. Finally she turns around with a small bottle of yellow tea: satisfaction.

"This counters both passion and self confidence," she tells him. She walks over to him and uncorks the bottle, bringing it to his lips. Hatter lets the tea crash against his lips, but keeps his mouth shut so that he doesn't drink it. When she pulls the bottle away, he licks the tea from his lips, getting just the few drops he needs to dull his confidence and passion. However, the tea does nothing to wipe away his genuine curiosity over the girl before him. The Duchess. The possible future queen.

She adverts her eyes at his staring, a blush rising on her cheeks. Suddenly her strength is gone, replaced with the shyness that Hatter noticed when she first entered his life.

"I've heard tales about you, Hatter," she says, softly.

"Really?" He feels his lips quirk upwards. "Good things, I hope."

She doesn't lift her head to make eye contact, but Hatter notices the smallest of smiles spread across her face. "Some," she consents. "But not all."

She takes a few steps away from him then, as if she's nervous about the fact that she's alone in a room with him.

"Why are you here, Duchess?" he asks.

She glances at him very briefly before returning her gaze to the floor.

"I'm awkward." It's a statement, one that Hatter can't really dispute. She's beautiful, but her beauty hides behind her tense demeanor. "And it's making it hard for me to…entice the prince. So my parents brought me here so that I can practice."

"Practice what?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. Practice being intoxicating so that the prince would like me?"

"Speaking of intoxication…why don't you just drink some self confidence or something? Problem solved, yeah?"

She says the next few words so softly that Hatter can barely hear her: "Tea has no effect on me."

"Come again?"

She glances up at him from under her lashes. "You heard me," she says. "Most Wonderlanders feel tea; I only taste it."

Hatter raises his eyebrows in surprise. "Wow."

"The Queen wanted me dead when she found out that she can't rule me with instant gratification."

"Then why are you still alive?"

She looks him square in the eye then. "Because I'm useful to her."

A million questions are at the tip of his tongue, but he doesn't ask any of them; he knows she won't answer them anyway.

"So my parents sent me here to practice enticing men, and the Queen agreed to this when she found out that the guy I'd be practicing on…is you." Hatter immediately opens his mouth to interrogate, but the Duchess only graces him with a smile. "She's heard tales too," she says.

Hatter feels fear gripping at his throat, and it's too much emotion for one day. He's exhausted and doesn't even have the strength to protest. He leans against the enormous bed, and the Duchess is in front of him again, close. She brings a hand to brush an errant lock of Hatter's hair off of his forehead.

"Don't worry," she whispers. "I'm on your side."

"I don't believe you."

Her lips are pulling upward again, but this time her smile looks sad. "You have no other choice," she say. She takes a step back then, blushes as she pulls off her gloves and forces them in his hands quickly, as if she's scared of her skin brushing his.

"To remember me by," she says, her cheeks bright red. She side-steps him and walks over to the door. "My parents will buy thirty extra crates of tea, and your parents will be so high on elation that they won't notice you stealing from them for your party tonight." She stops and waits for the door to unlock. She glances at him over her shoulder. "I'll see you around, Hatter."

And then she's gone, and he's left alone with a million questions in his head, tea coursing through his veins, and an overwhelming sense that the Duchess will eventually lead him into trouble.

He looks forward to it.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

It's early evening when the row boat finally bumps into the edge of the forest. Hatter jumps out and ropes the boat in, tying it to a nearby tree and grabbing the sack full of tea out of it. It wasn't too long ago that the trip from the city to the forest would take him most of the day. Thanks to puberty, he can do it in half the time now; though his arms still hurt like hell when he finishes. He rubs them for a moment before slinging the bag filled with assorted tea over his shoulder.

The forest of Wonderland welcomes him with quiet rustles as branches and vines tangle across his path in an effort to trip him up, make him lost or simply just to irritate him. It doesn't work, however: Hatter is far too used to Wonderland. He steps over the vines and pushes aside the branches as he makes his way deeper into the forest, his mind focused on the Duchess.

She had said that she's useful to the Queen, but Hatter doesn't know of what use she could be, aside from being a future wife for the prince. Tea also has no effect on her. Hatter's certain that she's the only one in Wonderland with that particular ability; he's far too familiar with the masses overcrowding the tea house, pushing all that they own into his father's greedy hands just for a few drops of tea. Even Hatter himself, when he was younger and under the influence every day, couldn't get enough of it.

"She must know something important," Hatter muses.

"Talking to yourself again, Hatter? You know that that's a sign of insanity."

Hatter jumps slightly from shock when he hears the voice. Standing ten feet in front of him is Felix Cheshire, a boy a few years younger than Hatter with dark red hair, a wide, cat-like grin and a tattered, purple coat that's still a size too big for him. Hatter hadn't seen him approach, though that's typical. Cheshire has two Wonderland abilities: Going invisible and leading people to trouble.

"If I'm going mad, then you really shouldn't be sneaking up on me, now should you, Chess?" he asks.

Cheshire shrugs indifferently. "Oh, I don't know. I think you going berserk would be quite fun to see."

Hatter rolls his eyes and continues on his way. "You out getting our guests for tonight?" he asks Cheshire as he passes him.

"It's what I do best."

"Be careful."

Hatter turns as Cheshire walks deeper into the forest. The younger boy is turning invisible and gracing him with a wicked grin as he replies: "Be careful? Now where's the fun in that?"

"You'll get yourself in trouble with the Queen one day, Chess! I swear you will!" Hatter calls after him.

"I can't wait to piss off that old bat," Cheshire's disembodied voice calls back.

Hatter sighs and continues walking. The trees and vines eventually pull away to reveal the abandoned village to him. It's here that he and his friends hold their infamous tea parties. And by the sound of it, the party's starting early:

"A very merry un-birthday to you! A very merry un-birthday to you!"

Hatter enters the village and sees Alexander March dancing merrily around a live rabbit tied to a spit. March holds a large butcher knife in his right hand, and Hatter would almost feel sorry for the poor rabbit if the idea of rabbit stew wasn't so enticing.

"A VERY MERRY UN-BIRTHDAY TOOOOOO YOU!"

Hatter looks away as March slits the rabbit's throat, though he can still hear the sound of blood splattering onto the ground.

March's Wonderland ability is the hunt. There's nothing he can't track. Nothing he can't kill.

"Hey, Hatter! You're just in time! Did you bring the tea?" While neither Cheshire, March nor Hatter drink tea regularly, they found early on that not having it at their parties is a bad idea.

March is standing far from the rabbit now, careful that the blood doesn't get on his expensive clothes. Born into the second lowest class in Wonderland society, March enjoys stealing fine clothing to wear, and he's almost always dressed well. Even while he's cooking, his shoes are polished, his trousers pressed and the white button-down shirt he's wearing is tucked in, though the sleeves are rolled. Hatter has seen March in bloodied clothes before, but that doesn't mean that March doesn't try to keep clean.

As the rabbit's blood drips to a stop, March grabs an apron and throws it on over his clothes so that he can finish the job.

"Yeah, I've got the tea," Hatter answers at last, indicating the sack over his shoulder. "I've got enough tea to last three or four parties, actually," he adds.

March looks up from skinning the rabbit, his eyes wide with shock. "How did you manage that?"

"It's practically a gift from my parents for a job well done."

"What did you do?"

"Well, they _think_ that I deflowered the Duchess Charlotte."

"The Duchess Charlotte? I wouldn't mind getting my hands on her lovely flesh if you know what I mean." March smiles and holds his butcher knife in front of his groin lewdly. He then goes back to butchering the rabbit for a few seconds before straightening suddenly and gracing Hatter with a confused stare. "Wait! You slept with the Duchess Charlotte?"

Hatter tells March about his afternoon with the Duchess as he sets bottles of tea on the table. When he's finished, March is adding the pieces of rabbit to the stew.

"We must be doing something right if the Queen's sending the Duchess to one of us for deflowering, eh Hatter?" March says, grinning over the stew. "She must realize that we're rogue bastards up to no good."

Hatter nods slowly, but he's not smiling. He knows that their growing fame should be a good thing; it's why they started having their little tea parties in the first place – to educate their fellow plebeians, and to let the Queen know that they weren't going to stay quiet and content under her reign. However, there's a part of Hatter that feels wary about going so overtly against the Queen. He'd rather be more discreet. Too late to back out now though; March and Cheshire would never allow him. Chess he can handle. Going against March is a different story: The moment that March decides to kill him, Hatter will be dead.

"I'm going to hide the rest of this," Hatter says, indicating the sack that's still over half full of tea.

March is dumping chopped up vegetables into the stew, ignorant to Hatter's change in mood. "Hurry back," he says. "I have a feeling that tonight's going to be our best party yet."

The party starts when their regulars show up; people who have been to their parties before and can now find the village without being led by Cheshire. Several of the regulars have instruments with them, and they start playing lively jigs as everyone eats, drinks and makes merry.

It has been a long day for Hatter, and he doesn't feel much like partying. He greets the regulars when they arrive and tells them to help themselves to the assorted teas on the table, but warns them not to mix and match or to take more than a few drops. He then grabs a bottle of wine for himself and goes off to the outskirts of the party, laying down in the grass as he listens to the flowers' song. The flowers seem irritated tonight; they keep babbling on about a weed.

"Look at what the Cheshire dragged in!"

March's voice cuts across the music, and Hatter sits up to see Cheshire entering the village with ten Wonderlanders in his wake. The boy bounds up to March and grins widely at him, like a cat presenting a mouse to his master.

"Well done, Chess," March compliments. He thumps Cheshire on the back and leads him to the table. "Help yourself to some wine."

March then turns back to the new Wonderlanders; he's in full host mode as he greets them and welcomes them to the party: "We have rabbit stew, roasted boar and a cooked pheasant on the table. As well as assorted cakes that I stole from the bakery this morning!" He winks. "We also have beverages: wine, coffee and the like. And of course we have plenty of tea! Help yourselves but limit your tea intake. Anyone who gets too high and causes a ruckus will be brought out into the forest and beaten. Possibly to death."

The newcomers laugh, but Hatter knows that it's not entirely a joke. There have been a few times when a partygoer would get out of hand, and he and March would need to take them out into the forest and beat some sense into them. Usually they'd just knock the troublemaker on the head to render him or her unconscious. But there had been a few fights, some of which ended a bit bloody. There was one time in particular that the troublemaker was only able to live because Hatter was able to restrain March.

Hatter watches as the newcomers begin to mingle. He finishes his bottle of wine, wishing it was enough to make him properly drunk. He throws the empty bottle over by some trees, and observes as the tree roots spring up, crush the bottle and pull the broken shards of glass into the earth.

He's contemplating between getting more wine and going to bed when the music suddenly stops and a hush comes over the village. He looks up and sees a beautiful girl standing at the entrance to the village: The Duchess. She's wearing a modest light pink dress, riding boots over white tights and a white coat that falls mid-thigh. Her hair is down, but pulled back from her face by a purple ribbon. She doesn't look like exactly like royalty, but she's definitely the Duchess.

March reacts before Hatter gets over the shock.

"Duchess Charlotte!" March exclaims before glaring at Cheshire, who's stretched out over three chairs at the table, a bottle of wine in one hand and a large piece of cake in the other.

"Don't look at me, I didn't lead her here," the younger, red-headed boy replies defensively.

March's eyes narrow onto Hatter and that's when Hatter springs up and comes forward, standing in front of the Duchess. He's at a complete loss for words, however, and he merely stands there and stares at her. She returns his stare for a moment before leaning slightly to the side and smiling at the people behind him.

"Don't stop your party because of me. I'm merely here to partake in the festivities," she says. Her voice is soft and not much for public speaking, but everyone gets the message anyway.

Hatter hears rustling and murmuring behind him and, a moment later, the music is playing again. He stays standing in front of the Duchess. March and Cheshire are at his side almost instantaneously. The Duchess eyes them curiously.

"And you two must be Alexander March and Felix Cheshire," she says.

March glares at Hatter. "How much did you tell her about us this afternoon, Hatter?" he demands.

Cheshire looks confused. "What were you doing with the Duchess this afternoon?" he asks, staring curiously up at Hatter. Hatter remains dumbstruck and says nothing.

"Answer me, Hatter!"

"I want to know what he and the Duchess were up to this afternoon!"

"They were fornicating!" March snaps.

"Hmm, I've lost interest already," Cheshire sighs.

The Duchess actually smiles at the dispute, one side of her mouth tugging upward slowly. "Wonderland is right. You three are mad."

All three of them stare at her.

"Wonderland?" March asks.

"Yes," the Duchess replies.

"Do you routinely talk to Wonderland?" March pries again.

"I don't actually talk to Wonderland; it's very much a one-sided conversation. "

When Hatter, March and Cheshire continue to send her dumbfounded stares, she elaborates: "My Wonderland ability is that I can understand Wonderland."

Things start to make sense to Hatter. He can now see why the Queen would keep the Duchess around if it means that she can make sense of the nonsense that is Wonderland. Hope is rising in his chest: The Duchess just might make an excellent Queen after all – once they get rid of the one they currently have.

"Even if Wonderland hadn't informed me about you, I would still know who you are," the Duchess continues. "You three and your parties are growing pretty infamous."

"So are you here to arrest us?" Cheshire asks.

"Of course not."

The younger boy immediately reaches for her hand and shakes it. "Welcome to the party. Make yourself at home. I'm going to go get drunk."

And with that he turns, pushes his way between Hatter and March and returns to the huge table laden with food. March lingers for a moment, alternately glancing between Hatter and the Duchess, but he soon turns and rejoins the party as well. It's only then that Hatter finds his voice again.

"What are you doing here?" he asks.

The Duchess seems slightly taken aback, almost as if she believes she's unwanted. She drops her eyes shyly to the ground and shrugs. "Wonderland led me here. I don't know why. I was having dinner with the royal family. Jack left early with a maid. And then Wonderland told me to get my coat and leave the castle."

Hatter reaches out and brings his fingers under her chin. She raises her head and looks at him.

"Welcome to the party." He smiles at her.

She fidgets uncomfortably. "Yes, about that. I'm not really good with parties. I usually just stand off to the side and try to make myself invisible."

"It's easier than it looks, going invisible. I don't know why no one else has figured it out yet." Cheshire is back. He walks past them without another word and leaves the village parameters, heading towards the forest.

"Oi! Where are you going?" Hatter calls after him.

"There's someone else I must lead here." Cheshire is invisible before Hatter can say another word.

"Like I said," the Duchess chimes in. "You're all mad."

Hatter grins at her. "That may be, but we also know how to put on a hell of a party. Come on. Have something to eat."

He takes her hand and leads her over to the table. They try samples of March's cooking and pour themselves glasses of wine. Her tense demeanor melts as she drinks the alcohol and color rises in her cheeks. Hatter learns that she is, indeed, one month older than him. That she and the prince weren't betrothed at birth. It was only after the Queen had learned of her ability that she bound the Duchess to her son, though they haven't announced the betrothal officially yet – the Queen holds it over the Duchess's head to keep her in line. He also learns that while books and education have been banned for the proletariat of the kingdom, both the Duchess and the prince have been taught how to read, write and do math.

"Tell me something about you specifically. Something that no one else knows," Hatter asks. He has his head propped on his hand, his elbow on the table. He's starting to feel drunk, and it's making him relaxed and happy. The Duchess appears just as drunk as he is; she's talking and joking and occasionally even flirting as innocently as possible. Hatter vaguely wonders if he'll get to deflower her after all.

The Duchess leans forward mischievously. "I'm a good dancer," she says. "When no one else is around."

Hatter's standing and stepping away from the table almost instantly. He holds his hand out to the Duchess. "Dance with me," he says.

She rises from the table but graces him with a terrified look. "But there are people…"

"I assure you, luv, they won't remember any of this tomorrow."

She glances around timidly, and Hatter's almost afraid that she's going to run like a scared rabbit, but she doesn't. She shrugs out of her coat and places it on a chair. Her dress has short sleeves, and while it isn't revealing, Hatter still feels entranced with her bare skin. His hand remains extended out to her, and she eventually places her fingers into his grip. He leads her to the dancing couples, and together they dance a jig. They're spinning around and around, growing dizzy together. He's entranced by how soft her skin feels, by the sway of her hips against his, and by her smile that is wide and unashamed. He considers leading her over to a more secluded spot hidden by vines and branches and dancing slower with her; however, the music stops before he gets the chance.

A hush has fallen amongst the crowd again, and many of the partygoers are slowly creeping towards the entrance of the village. Hatter grabs the Duchess' hand and pushes through the crowd until they're in front, standing beside March. March is frozen in shock, his usually immaculate blonde hair falling into his pale eyes, and his mouth hanging slightly open.

Cheshire has returned, and he looks almost as though he's under a spell: His eyes are unfocused and he grins lazily.

"Look at what I found," he whispers. He turns invisible then, revealing a young girl behind him. She's dressed in black shoes, white tights, and a blue dress with a white apron. She has dirty blonde hair that falls just below her shoulders and large blue eyes. The inked design that starts at the corner of her left eye and settles in the middle of her cheek tells them that she isn't from Wonderland: She's an oyster.

She looks exhausted, as if she had been travelling all day, but her face brightens when she sees the table laden with food and sweets.

"Oh how lovely," she says, her voice soft and childlike.

Hatter feels the Duchess tightening her grip on his hand in alarm, and March is grabbing his sleeve urgently. But Hatter ignores them, his focus completely on the oyster child.

"A tea party!" the girl exclaims. She squeezes between Hatter and March as she rushes toward the table.

Hatter catches March's eye.

"Fantastic!" March hisses. "The Queen will have our fucking heads for housing an oyster!"


	4. Chapter 3

**Of Legend**  
>Chapter Three<p>

Hatter uses his own Wonderland ability – his famed right hand – to push Cheshire up against a tree, his hand wrapping around Cheshire's throat. He's probably using a bit too much force because Cheshire's feet are dangling a few inches off of the ground and the boy's gasping for air as if Hatter's arm is making it hard for his lungs to expand. Cheshire doesn't complain or fight back, however. He merely narrows his eyes and stares coolly at Hatter and March as they reprimand him.

"Chess, what were you thinking, bringing an oyster here?" Hatter hisses.

March is pacing back and forth in front of them. He has his knife in his hand, and Hatter keeps a wary eye on him. He doesn't think that March will hurt the younger boy, but he also never knows when March will snap.

March is a few years older than Hatter. He was old enough for school when the Queen took power over Wonderland, and he's the only one of the three who remembers the happier times that were stolen from him. Despite what the Duchess had said earlier, out of the three of them, March is the one who's truly on the verge of being mad.

"I told you," Cheshire replies between gasps of air. "I was compelled to find her. I don't even remember doing it." His voice squeaks slightly with the last few words, reminding Hatter that Cheshire is still young, not even finished with puberty. Hatter eases up just a little, and Cheshire uses the opportunity to clear his throat. When he speaks again, his voice is back to its normal timbre: "You guys know that I would never lead the two of you to trouble."

Cheshire's eyes lock onto March, who has his back to them as he watches the party that's taking place several yards in front of him. He's still holding his knife, but he no longer appears to be on the verge of killing. He takes a deep breath, his shoulders rising and then lowering as he exhales.

"I believe you, Chess," March says softly, sounding sane – for now.

Hatter releases his hold on Cheshire, and the boy slides down the tree and lands swiftly on his feet. He walks over to stand next to March. Hatter lingers for a moment and holds his hand out to the Duchess, who has spent the entire interrogation leaning against a nearby tree, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She hesitates when she sees Hatter's outstretched right hand.

"It doesn't bite," he quips.

She smirks at him and places her fingers in his hand, allowing him to lead her over to the other two boys as they watch the party. She's between him and March and, after a moment, March glances down at her.

"So, Duchess," March says. "You understand Wonderland. What's this all about?"

She furrows her brow for a moment, and it almost looks as though she's trying to listen to something that the rest of them can't hear.

"The White Rabbit collected her from the other world, just like he does all the oysters," she says.

March and Hatter share a significant look over the Duchess's head. Until then they never knew how the oysters came into Wonderland, and they had never heard of anyone called 'the White Rabbit' before. They realize that if they are ever going to overthrow the Queen, they would need the Duchess. Silently, the two of them make an agreement to do whatever it takes to keep the Duchess on their side: please her, spoil her, seduce her if necessary.

"How she got away from the White Rabbit, Wonderland won't tell me," the Duchess continues.

"The law states that any oysters found should be taken to the Queen straight away," March says. "Should we?"

The Duchess shakes her head. "Wonderland wants her to stay here for the time being." She pauses and smirks at the boys. "You three don't look like nannies."

"Maybe that's why you're here," Hatter says smoothly. He and March act as one, each of them taking a hold of one of the Duchess's hands, leading her out of the trees and closer to the party. Cheshire follows them indifferently.

"I think it's time that we introduced ourselves to the little oyster, don't you?" March adds.

The oyster's name is Alice, and she claims that she's twelve years old, though none of them know exactly what that translates to in their years. They deduce that she's a bit younger than Cheshire, but basically in the same generation.

They also deduce that she's a brat who thinks that she's superior to them all. She scowls at Cheshire for laying on the table and drinking his wine instead of sitting on a chair properly. She raises an eyebrow as March pours the entire contents of the sugar jar into his unspiked tea. And when Hatter breaks out his pocket watch and tries to fix it by putting a bit of butter in it – so that the wheels will turn easier – she flat out asks him if he's mad. The only one the girl appears to like is the Duchess, which confirms their suspicions of why Wonderland brought the Duchess to them in the first place.

They ask her how she escaped the White Rabbit, though they don't get a proper answer. She starts to tell them – something about being bored with her studies and following her cat, Dinah – but the party is starting to get rowdy. The other partygoers are both drunk and high off of tea, and it's proving to be a distraction.

When a couple caught up in the throes of passion crashes into the table beside them, March immediately yells at the oyster to move down. He's trying to protect her from seeing things that her young mind isn't ready for, but his command seems to annoy her. Despite her disapproving glare, she does as she's told and moves down to the opposite end of the table. This area is covered in smoke from a group of revelers smoking from a hookah. While the child tries to start her story again, she ends up yawning before she gets two sentences in.

"I'm dreadfully sorry, but I must retire now," she says. She stands from the table and glances around the village until she sees a sofa on the outskirts, surrounded by flowers. She walks over to it and lies down, her eyes are closed before her head hits the pillow.

"Chess," March orders.

Cheshire hops off of the table. "I'm going," he says, immediately understanding what March wants. The younger boy walks over to the sofa that the oyster's sleeping on. He takes off his purple coat and covers her before lying down in the flowers; he's her protector for the night.

March's eyes lock onto the Duchess. "You're welcome to stay the night yourself, Duchess," he says. "But if you'd rather be in a castle, Hatter can lead you back."

"I can find my own way, thanks," the Duchess says coolly.

March grins. "Yes, but can you protect yourself?"

The Duchess lowers her eyes and blushes. "It's irrelevant anyway," she says. "I'm staying here tonight."

Hatter meets March's gaze across the table, and for a moment he wonders if the two of them will fight over who gets to stay with the Duchess; he and March often compete for girls. However, March seems to be comfortable with the fact that the Duchess obviously favors Hatter. He offers Hatter a sly smile and winks at him.

"Alright then, I'll see you two in the morning," March says, rising from the table. He grabs a bottle of wine and Hatter knows the older boy won't retire until he finds a lady to accompany him to bed.

The Duchess looks out of place in this menagerie. She's blushing and twiddling her fingers nervously.

"Will she be alright?" the Duchess asks suddenly, her eyes flickering up to where the oyster sleeps.

Hatter glances over at the oyster named Alice for a moment before he leans back in his chair and stretches. "Yeah, she has Chess watching over her."

"He's just a boy."

Hatter nods. "A boy who was taught how to fight by March and I. He can hold anyone off until one of us gets there. And no one stands a chance between my right hand or…March in general." Hatter smiles at her, but her eyes remain resolutely on her hands in her lap, as if she's too embarrassed to look at him or the others partying around them.

He stands and offers her his hand. "Come on Duchess, I'll show you where you'll be safe tonight."

She hesitates for only a moment before taking his hand and standing from the table. Hatter leads her across the party, passing revelers and couples fornicating in flowers. She holds his hand tightly and keeps her eyes on the ground.

The house that he chose for himself long ago is quaint and located in the back of the village, away from all the noise. A stone path leads up to its front door, and Hatter's almost embarrassed when he opens it and lets the Duchess enter; she's probably used to much better.

There's no wall dividing the kitchen from the living room, and both areas look well lived in with tea cups filling the kitchen sink and piles of books lining the walls of the living room. In the far corner of his living room, by two windows that are currently open to the night air, is a bed. Across from his bed is a staircase that leads to the upstairs, though Hatter never uses the second level.

It's paradise for him, a dump for the Duchess, probably. She examines his mess curiously while he closes the door and leans against it, watching her.

"Books?" she finally asks, scrunching up her nose in confusion.

"Yeah, I guess some Wonderlanders brought them to this village to save them from the Queen's book burnings," Hatter explains. The Duchess continues to stare at him, and he finds himself elaborating. "I don't know how they got here exactly. All I know is that they were here ages ago when March, Chess and I found this village."

"Can you…? I mean… Are you able to…?" The Duchess, blushing furiously, cuts herself off again and gestures at the books.

"Are you asking me if I'm literate, luv?" Hatter asks. He feels his mouth pulling into a smirk, and he finally steps away from the door.

The Duchess is still blushing. "Are you?" she asks.

"Yes," Hatter nods. "March had some schooling before the Queen took over. He taught Chess and I the basics and then…I dunno, Wonderland took over our education from there."

"Wonderland?"

"Yeah. I can't really explain it." He tries anyway. "We were here for three years straight when we first found the village. We were all kids when we came, but March was pubescent by the time we left to return to the city, and I wasn't far behind. And for three years, we just…read. Every single day. March's ability is the hunt, so we always had meat. A week or so after we arrived, Chess and I found a bunch of fruit and vegetable seeds, and we started a garden. Even in the winter…there was snow on the ground, but it never really got cold for us."

He stops, looks at her and shrugs.

She nods slowly. "It's clear, Mad Hatter, that Wonderland has a plan for the three of you. I'm not quite sure what that plan is, but there's definitely a plan for you."

He takes a step closer to her and brings his hand to tuck a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. "If Wonderland ever tells you its plan for me," he says, leaning down slightly until his lips are very close to hers, "let me know." He begins to shut his eyes and close the gap between them, but she turns completely away until it's her back that he's facing. She doesn't step away, however, and their close proximity remains.

Hatter straightens and brings his hands to her shoulders, lightly playing with her hair.

"You know that I will never force you to do something that you're not comfortable with, right?" he asks.

She takes a deep breath, then nods slowly.

"But I can help you with your…awkward problem." His hands slip from her shoulders and slowly skim down her arms. His fingers find her waist and he hesitates, waiting for her to stop him, and when she doesn't he wraps his arms around her properly.

She's tense for a moment, then brings her hands to cover his over her stomach. "It could be dangerous for you," she says softly.

He lowers his head so that his lips are close to her ear. It takes all that he has not to graze his teeth over the shell of her ear like he so desperately wants to. "The Queen and her beheadings don't scare me," he lies. "Besides, she ordered me to help you. I'm just doing my part for Queen and country."

He catches a glimpse of the Duchess's sardonic smile. "I wasn't talking about the Queen," she says. She turns in his arms and looks him square in the eyes. "No matter what happens between us. No matter how much I let you in, Hatter. I will always return to Jack."

Hatter's not shocked by the statement, though he is a bit shocked that she's looking out for his feelings. However, deep down he has already acknowledged the fact that even if he falls in love with her, he will always let her return to the Prince. He's convinced that this girl should one day be their Queen.

"I understand, Duchess Charlotte," he replies, and there's so much sincerity in his voice that the Duchess doesn't question him.

She graces him with a smile before stepping out of his arms. She walks over to his bed, sits down and begins to take off her boots.

"I'll let you teach me, Hatter," she tells him, though she doesn't look at him. "But not tonight. It's been a long day, and I'm too tired to take on such a challenge."

"Will it be too much of a challenge for you to share the bed tonight?" he quips. "If so, I can sleep on the floor."

She pauses. Her boots are off and she's sitting on his bed, her eyes wide in alarm as if she didn't realize that he would be staying with her. Slowly, she scoots over and makes room for him in the bed, though she doesn't look at him when he lays down beside her.

They're both lying tense on their backs, staring up at the ceiling. Hatter's glad that March isn't around to see this; he's sure that the older boy would give him hell.

He's just about to roll off of the bed and sleep on the floor anyway when he feels her fingers interlacing with his own. It's a big step for her.

"If you snore, I'm kicking you out of the house," she tells him through a yawn.

He grins. "And if you hog the covers, Your Majesty, I'm going to spoon you."

He sees her smile out of the corner of his eye.

"Goodnight, Hatter," she sighs.

"Goodnight, Duchess."


End file.
